Turkey: “Perverted infidels, the time that we will strike your necks is soon,” jihadists threaten Christians

Fifteen Christian congregations in Turkey in the face life-threatening situations as extremists term this jihad.

According to the World Watch Monitor, fifteen Turkish Christian congregations and their pastors are being eyed by the extremists since August 27. A vociferous campaign of heaping death threats to these Christian congregations via Facebook, email, mobile telephones etc. Bulk of these Turkish Christian congregations are ex- Muslims who have converted to Christianity.

It has been assumed that the death threats are after the pattern typically used by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), declaring to kill, slaughter and behead apostates who the messages accused of having “chosen the path that denies Allah” and “dragged others into believing as you do… As heretics you have increased your numbers with ignorant followers”.

Association of Protestant Christians in Turkey said in a press release on September 1 stated: “Threats are not anything new for the Protestant community who live in this country and want to raise their children here. But with the recent increase in systematic threats, from this country’s west to east and north to south, in different cities, we think that these messages, coming close together and resembling each other, are coming from the same source.”

The World Watch Monitor quotes one such message which reads: “Perverted infidels, the time that we will strike your necks is soon. May Allah receive the glory and praise.” The message displayed the ISIS flag while the militants called themselves “those who go to jihad”.

A link was posted for an Arabic video subtitled in Turkish on YouTube entitled, “The religious proofs why apostates should be killed.” A pastor who had received both threatening email and SMS messages told World Watch Monitor, “They are saying things like they had been waiting for us to return to Islam, and that we are responsible for other Muslims turning to Christ, that our time is up and that Allah will give them our heads.”